Clutch apparatus for counter switch mechanism



Nov. 29, 1966 J, R. ASHMAN 3,288,950

CLUTCH APPARATUS FOR COUNTER SWITCH MECHANISM Filed May 27. 1964 4Sheets-Sheet l wm Hannynnj7 221 f mmm@ Nov. 29, 1966 J. R. AsHMAN3,288,950

CLUTCH APPARATUS FOR COUNTER SWITCH MEGHANISM Filed May 27, 1964 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 29, 1966 J. R. AsHMAN 3,288,950

CLUTCH APPARATUS FOR COUNTER SWITCH MECHANISM Filed May 27, 19644Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 29, 1966 J. R. AsHMAN 3,288,950

CLUTCH APPARATUS FOR COUNTER SWITCH MECHANISM Filed May 27, 1964 4Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR A MAN F| 6 JOHN ROBERT SH United States PatentC) 3,2ss,9so CLUTCH APPARATUS non COUNTER SWITCH MECHANTSM .lohn RobertAshman, Fareham, England, assignor to This invention relates toswitches.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a compactmulti-position switch construction which is capable of enabling a rapidselection of a particular series of switching settings or positions.

According to the invention we provide an electric switch comprising aplurality of switch units, each unit having a selectively operable setof switch contacts, and first and second control means, the firstcontrol means being operable to select any one of the switch units andthe second control means being operable to cause selective actuation ofthe switch contacts of the selected switch unit.

The foregoing `and further features of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description of two preferred embodimentsthereof with reference to the drawings accompanying the specification,in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of a portion of a switch construction,

FIGURE 2a is an elevation of the said portion of the switchincorporating a housing for the switch,

FIGURE 2b is a section on the line II-II of FIG- URE 1,

FIGURE 3a is a fragmentary elevation similar to that of FIGURE 2a butshowing a modified detail,

FIGURE 3b is a fragmentary section similar to that of FIGURE 2illustrating a modified detail,

FIGURES 4 and 5 are perspective views indicating the positions of thecontrols of the switches of FIGURE 2 and as modified by FIGURE 3respectively,

FIGURE 6 shows, partly in section, a Idetail of the construction ofFIGURE 1, on an enlarged scale, and

FIGURE 7 shows a section of the detail of FIGURE 6 taken on the lineIII-III.

Referring now to FIGURES 1, 2, 6 and 7, the switch assembly includes afixed shaft 1 on which are mounted a series of drums 2, only two drumsare shown. In a particular constructional form five drums are employed.Each drum includes a sleeve 3 which is rotatably journalled on the shaft1, and an indicator ring 4, of larger diameter than the sleeve 3, andintegral therewith. Each indicator ring 4 carries a series ofinformation symbols, conveniently the numbers 1 to 9 and 0.

A series of axial grooves, or shallow recesses 5, are equiangularlyspaced around the interior of the sleeve 3. These grooves are intendedto be engaged by spring loaded balls 6, housed in a bore in the shaft 1.The engagement of the balls 6 in the groove 5 provides a means ofindexing the sleeve, and thus the ring 4, relative to the shaft 1.

A ring gear 7 is provided adjacent each indicator ring 4. Each gear 7meshes with a gear 8 which is mounted for free running on a rotatableshaft 9.

Each gear 8 is integral with a driven dog 10 of a dog clutch 11, so thatthe dogs 10 are likewise mounted for free running on shaft 9. Each dogclutch 11 comprises in addition to its driven dog 10, a `driving dog 12,and the driving dogs 12 are keyed t0 the shaft 9 to rotate therewith-but `are movable axially with respect to said shaft 9. As seen inFIGURE 1 the dogs 10 and 12 of each dog clutch 11 are normallydisengaged from each other, for example with the aid of a spring urgingthem ICC apart. Engagement of a dog clutch 11 can be effectedselectively by urging the respective dog 12 axially towards therespective dog 10, and this is achieved with the aid of a bracket 13,shown most clearly in FIGURE 7, and capable of engaging and axiallydisplacing the respective dog 12. Each dog clutch 11 is associated witha bracket 13 and the brackets are slidably mounted on a further shaft 14and spring urged by load springs 17 towards a position in which the dogclutches 11 are disengaged. Movement of any one bracket 13 :against thepressure of the associated load spring 17 causes said bracket to movethe associated dog 12 4axially on the shaft 9 into engagement with theassociated dog 10.

The shaft 14 carries a plurality of clutch operating discs 15, one foreach dog clutch 11, and the discs 15 are constrained to rotate with saidshaft 14. Each disc 15 is provided near its periphery with a detent 16facing the associated bracket 13, and as can be seen most clearly inFIGURE 7 the detent 16 overlies the bracket 13 only during a minorportion of one complete revolution of the shaft 14. The arrangement issuch that during this minor portion the detent 16 urges the bracket 13against the loading of the .associated load spring 17, by an axialdistance sufiicient to cause the associated dogs 10 and 12 to engagewith each other.

The detents 16 associated with the various dog clutches 11 are soangularly positioned around the shaft 14 that only one of the clutches11 can be engaged Iat any one time. In FIGURE 6 one of the clutches,namely on the left hand side of the figure, is shown engaged, and theother clutch visible is shown disengaged. As can be seen in FIGURES 2and 7 the line joining the axes of shafts 9 and 14 is not colinear withthe line joining the axes of shafts 9 and 1. The view in FIGURE 1 islooking orthogonally onto a plane containing the axes of shafts 1 and 9,Whereas the View in FIGURE 6 is taken looking orthogonally onto a planecontaining the axes of shafts 9 and 14, so that the details of theclutch mechanism are more clearly evident.

The drums 2, carried upon the shaft 1, each carry five cam rings 18,each having a cam riser 19. The cam rings 18 are constrained to rotatewith the sleeve 3. The risers 19 are equiangularly spaced relative` toeach other in such manner that each riser passes through a referenceposition only once for each complete revolution of the sleeve 3.

The cam risers 19 are arranged to operate a spring contact system,including a movable contact set 20 for each riser 19 and a common fixe-dcontact 21 of stiffer material to ensure stability. The contact sets 21are deflected permanently against the surfaces of the cam rings 18 toensure stability under vibration and acce1eration conditions.

The contact sets 20 and the common contacts 21 are carried by .a pair ofelectrically insulating rails 22 mounted from a main frame or housing 23of which only a small portion is illustrated.

A glass window element 24 is mounted in the housing 23. The element hasa number of rectangular cut-outs (FIGURES 4 and 5) which align with theindicator rings 4. A lamp 25 serves to illuminate the window element.

The shaft 14 is, via gearing (not shown), rotated by means of a controlrotor 26 (FIGURE 4). This has six positive operational positions, onefor each cam position and the off position. The shaft 9 is rotated by acontrol rotor 27, via gearing (not shown).

It will be noted that the rotors 26 and 27 are, as shown in FIGURE 4,.at the opposite ends of the switch assembly. If it is desired to havethe control rotors on the front panel of the housing 23, as is shown inFIGURE 5, the modification of FIGURE 3 is used. This modificationincludes a suitable gearing 28 to turn the drives to the shafts 9 and 14through a right angle.

The above ldescribed apparatus is actuated as follows.

Initially the rotor 26 is turned until the shaft 14 moves the disc 15suiciently to cause its detent 16 to engage the clutch 11 of a requiredindicator ring. On attaining this engagement the rotor 27 is turnedthrough the required number of positions until the required characteraligns with the window in the glass element 24. If required the rotor 26is then rotated until the clutch 11 associated with another requiredindicator ring is engage-d. It will be understood that when the rotor 26is turned, the previously engaged clutch will be released, therebyinterrupting drive from the shaft 9 to the sleeve 3.

On engagement of the second clutch the rotor 27 is again rotated untilthe required character aligns with the associated glass element window.

With the gearing arrangements provided between the rotors 26 and 27 itis readily possible to arr-ange for a quarter turn of the rotor 27 toturn the sleeves 3 through one length of a character.

Each rotor 26 or 27 is tted with a suitable detent mechanism. It will beseen that the above described switch assembly operates on a switchingmatrix basis in that changing a particular order digit involves theselection of a column-vizz the digit orderand the selection of aparticular line or row in the column-viz: the digit required.

What I claim is:

1. A `switch mechanism having a plurality of switch units, a pluralityof clutch means, one for each switch unit, rst and second engageableclutch elements in each clutchmeans, means urging said lirst and secondclutch elements of each clutch means to a disengaged position, meansmechanically coupling the first clutch element of each clutch means toan associated switch unit, a first rotatable member carrying the secondclutch element of all of said clutch means, a second rotatable member, aplurality of clutch actuating members, one for each clutch means,mounted on said second rotatable member, means coupling each clutchactuating member to one of the rst and second clutch elements of theassociated clutch means and means on each of said clutch actuatingmembers, angular-1y distributed about the axis of rotation of the secondrotatable member, for producing sequential engagement of the first andsecond clutch elements of said clutch means through said coupling meansin response to rotation of said second rotatable member.

`2. Mechanism according to claim 1 comprising a rotatable shaft meanscoupling the second clutch elements to said shaft so that they rotatewith sai-d shaft and are slidable axially with respect to said shaft,and means mounting the first clutch elements for free running withrespect to said shaft.

3. Mechanism according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of brackets,one for each clutch means, means resiliently urging each bracket to aposition in which the first and second clutch elements of the respectiveclutch means are disengaged, and means mounting said brackets forslidable movement on said second rotatable member and positioned so thateach bracket is engageable by means on a clutch actuating member to urgesaid bracket against said resiliently urging means to cause said bracketto move the respective second clutch element into engagement with therespective rst clutch element.

4. Mechanism according to claim 3 comprising detent members for urgingsaid brackets against said resiliently urging means, on said clutchactuating members and the Idetent members of the different clutchactuating members are angularly distributed about said second rotatablemember and said brackets are so shaped that only one detent member is inengagement with its associated bracket at a time.

5. A switch mechanism according to claim 1 comprising a switch contactactuator in each switch unit.

6. A switch mechanism according to claim 1 comprising an indicatorcoupled to each switch unit to give a visual indication of the positionof said `switch unit.

7. A switch mechanism according to claim 6 comprising a separatecharacter drum in each indicator.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,475S,38412/1923 Dorsch.

2,493,738 1/1950 Cuttat.

2,859,290 11/1958 Grinage 200-18 2,890,299 6/1959 Adams et al. 20G-182,927,168 3/1960 Brown 200--1'8 2,973,144 2/1961 Clyde et al. 23S- 110 X3,140,377 7/1964 Koci et al 200--167 ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, PrimaryExaminer.

KATHLEEN H. CLAFFY, Examiner.

J. R. SCOTT, Assistant Examiner.

1. A SWITCH MECHANISM HAVING A PLURALITY OF SWITCH UNITS, A PLURALITY OFCLUTCH MEANS, ONE FOR EACH SWITCH UNIT, FIRST AND SECOND ENGAGEABLECLUTCH ELEMENTS IN EACH CLUTCH MEANS, MEANS URGING SAID FIRST AND SECONDCLUTCH ELEMENTS OF EACH CLUTCH MEANS TO A DISENGAGED POSITION, MEANSMECHANICALLY COUPLING THE FIRST CLUTCH ELEMENT OF EACH CLUTCH MEANS TOAN ASSOCIATED SWITCH UNIT, A FIRST ROTATABLE MEMBER CARRYING THE SECONDCLUTCH ELEMENT OF ALL OF SAID CLUTCH MEANS, A SECOND ROTATABLE MEMBER, APLURALITY OF CLUTCH ACUTATING MEMBERS, ONE FOR EACH CLUTCH MEANS,MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND ROTATABLE MEMBER, MEANS COUPLING EACH CLUTCHACTUATING MEMBER TO ONE OF THE FIRST AND SECOND CLUTCH ELEMENTS OF THEASSOCIATED CLUTCH MEANS AND MEANS ON EACH OF SAID CLUTCH ACTUATINGMEMBERS, ANGULARLY DISTRIBUTED ABOUT THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE SECONDROTATABLE MEMBER, FOR PRODUCING SEQUENTIAL ENGAGEMENT OF THE FIRST ANDSECOND CLUTCH ELEMENTS OF SAID CLUTCH MEANS THROUGH SAID COUPLING MEANSIN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF SAID SECOND ROTATABLE MEMBER.